Imagine you are giving a presentation or writing a letter. You have done your research and organized your main points. You have checked your grammar and vocabulary to make sure everything is correct.
想象一下您正在做演讲或写一封信。您已经完成了研究并组织了要点。您已经检查了语法和词汇以确保一切正确。
But something is missing. A final step that is just as important – if not more important. What is it?
但缺少一些东西。最后一步同样重要——甚至更重要。它是什么？
A check for clarity.
检查清晰度。
Clarity – the quality of being easily understood – will be the subject of today’s report.
清晰度——易于理解的品质——将成为今天报告的主题。
You will learn about the difference between clarity and grammar. You will also learn one of the best ways to check your presentation or writing for clarity.
您将了解清晰度和语法之间的区别。您还将学习检查演示或写作是否清晰的最佳方法之一。
Difference between clarity and grammar
清晰度和语法之间的区别
Clarity and grammar are two closely related issues. We can explore the difference between them by making a comparison to metalworking.
清晰度和语法是两个密切相关的问题。我们可以通过与金属加工的比较来探讨它们之间的区别。
Imagine you are a skilled metalworker who is making a high-quality tool such as a chef’s knife. First, you collect raw materials for the tool. Then, you follow the exact order of actions to put them in high and cool temperatures, and so on, to make a knife.
想象一下，您是一名熟练的金属工人，正在制造诸如厨师刀之类的高质量工具。首先，您收集该工具的原材料。然后，您按照确切的操作顺序将它们置于高温和低温下，等等，以制作一把刀。
Vocabulary is like the raw materials – such as iron, steel, or other metal mixtures -- that go into making the tool.
词汇就像制造工具的原材料，例如铁、钢或其他金属混合物。
Grammar – putting words together in certain ways – is like putting raw materials together in an exact order to make a knife.
语法——以某种方式将单词组合在一起——就像将原材料按照精确的顺序组合在一起来制造一把刀。
Still, to make a high-quality knife, you need polishing and sharpening to make it look beautiful and cut smoothly. In presentation and writing, that is clarity!
尽管如此，要制作一把高质量的刀，您需要抛光和磨利，使其看起来美观且切割顺畅。在演示和写作中，这就是清晰！
What can you do?
你能做什么？
Remember that statements can be grammatically correct but unclear. And statements that are somewhat clear can become very clear.
请记住，语句可能在语法上正确但不清楚。一些清晰的陈述可以变得非常清晰。
You can check for clarity in different ways. Start by double-checking sentences that begin with an abstract subject. Abstract subjects do not easily answer the following question: Who is doing something?
您可以通过不同的方式检查清晰度。首先仔细检查以抽象主题开头的句子。抽象主题不容易回答以下问题：谁在做某事？
Consider this example, which comes from Nora Bacon’s The Well-Crafted Sentence.
考虑这个例子，它来自诺拉·培根的《精心设计的句子》。
The phenomenon of “ boomerang children,” young adults who return to live with their parents after graduating from college, is an occurrence faced by many families today.
“回飞镖”现象，即大学毕业后回到父母身边的年轻人，是当今许多家庭面临的现象。
The sentence is grammatically correct but could be clearer. Why? The subject is “the phenomenon,” as in “the phenomenon of boomerang children.”
这句话在语法上是正确的，但还可以更清楚。为什么？主题是“现象”，如“飞去来器儿童的现象”。
This sentence does not have a clear actor – a person or thing that is doing something.
这句话没有明确的演员——正在做某事的人或物。
Bacon says this sentence is better:
培根说这句话更好：
Many families face the phenomenon of “boomerang children,” young adults who return to live with their parents after graduating from college.
许多家庭都面临着“回旋镖儿童”的现象，即大学毕业后回到父母身边的年轻人。
The subject of this sentence is “many families.” The action is “face” – meaning to deal with something in a direct way.
这句话的主语是“许多家庭”。动作是“面”——意思是直接处理某事。
Let’s take some time to work with this idea. Imagine you see or hear the following sentence:
让我们花一些时间来实现这个想法。想象一下您看到或听到以下句子：
With the growing use of Slack in business situations, the pros and cons of the technology should be considered by the conference’s speakers.
随着 Slack 在商业场景中的使用越来越多，会议发言人应该考虑该技术的优缺点。
How would you change this sentence into something that is polished and clear?
你怎样才能把这句话改得更优美、更清晰呢？
Can you identify the subject of the sentence? Do you think a different word or expression would work better in the subject position?
你能辨认出句子的主语吗？你认为不同的词或表达方式在主语位置上效果更好吗？
Closing thoughts
结束语
At first, you might find it difficult to look back on your work and check for clarity. You might need to make many changes. But that is exactly what expert writers and speakers do. They almost never present or publish something without careful checking!
一开始，您可能会发现很难回顾自己的工作并检查其清晰度。您可能需要进行许多更改。但这正是专家作家和演讲者所做的。他们几乎从不展示或发布未经仔细检查的东西！
Remember: language is a kind of skill. Skills take time and hard work to develop. But with patience and practice, you, too, can become an expert.
请记住：语言是一种技能。技能需要时间和努力来发展。但只要有耐心和练习，您也可以成为专家。